


The Color of Money

by kenshincha



Category: The Eagle | Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Angst, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-29
Updated: 2012-06-29
Packaged: 2017-11-08 20:12:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/447060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenshincha/pseuds/kenshincha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this amazing <a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/ladytiferet/pic/000gd0da">image</a> by <a href="http://ladytiferet.livejournal.com">Tif</a>. Marcus is a cop and Esca is a close friend that lives with him. Inspecting a car parked in an area known for a high level of prostitution, he finds an older man with a prostitute: Esca.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Color of Money

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: Done for the [Eagle Exchange](eagle_exchange.livejournal.com) for [Tif](http://ladytiferet.livejournal.com/profile). Thank you to [marlee813](marlee813.livejournal.com) for the beta.
> 
> **Warnings:** Prostitution, mention of drugs, mention of domestic violence.

"At least pretend you're trying to look more vigilant," Lutorius said, his amused voice cutting through the sleepy fog around Marcus' mind. "Slouched like that, everyone will think we're sleeping on the job."

Marcus smiled and sat up a bit, though he didn't bother to open his eyes. The police car seats were always uncomfortable after sitting in them for so long, but after the shift they just had and the heat of the car on full blast, Marcus would sleep on broken glass.

Marcus lifted his police cap and scratched his head. He still wasn't used to the short cut even after all this time. The uniform though, he felt like he'd been born in one. The pride he felt after getting accepted into the police program was only surpassed by the day he graduated and got to put his uniform on for the first time. Marcus had known he was going to be a cop since he knew what one was. His father was a cop, just like Granpa before him. Even when Marcus was only eight and his father died in a shoot-out, it didn't discourage Marcus. It only made him more determined.

He enjoyed his job every damn day. He knew he was making a difference, not only apprehending criminals but also helping anyone who needed it. Some of the older cops had lost their compassion and started viewing everyone as guilty-until-proven-innocent. Marcus was too young for that, and he hoped it would never come down to that as the harder days became more frequent.

Today had been a tough one. Two calls of domestic violence with the women arguing that they'd provoked the attack. One OD found in a park. Six men arrested for possession with intent to sell. Everyone had decided to run. It was getting too damn cold for them to be running.

It wasn't until he felt the familiar turns that led to home that he had enough will to stay aware.

His neighborhood was a rundown area on the east side of the city. The apartment buildings they passed were dirty and in disrepair. It was quiet now. The streets were always deserted an hour before sunrise. Most of the criminals would be going to sleep soon, just like he was.

Marcus stretched as much as he could in the small car without smacking his partner on the head. "Did you see where we're patrolling tomorrow night?"

"Green district."

Marcus frowned. 'Green district', green for money, was the name Dispatch coined for the area to the south east with the highest concentration of drug dealers and prostitutes. If you had money and you wanted something illicit, you went there. Naturally, that meant that's also where a lot of patrols went.

It definitely wasn't Marcus' favorite district to patrol. His usual optimism couldn't defeat the helplessness he felt there. It always felt like when you arrested fifty men and women, fifty more suddenly sprang up to take their place. Luckily, Marcus and Lutorius were only a rotation list and not patrolling there every single night. "We haven't patrolled there for a while. It can never be long enough, though."

Lutorius gave a shrug. He never seemed to care where they patrolled, remaining stoic and neutral. Marcus guessed it was another way you could deal with some of the things they saw.

Lutorius pulled the car over to a corner of his street. "Eight o'clock tonight. We need to get in earlier for briefing."

Marcus nodded as he got out and gave a tired wave as he closed the door.

This particular street was resident to many people with priors, but the crime rate was low. Most of the criminals were smart enough not to break the law where they were well-known. Marcus liked to think it also went down since he became a cop. Most people here gave him a wide berth, which he didn't mind. He didn't want to be around people who needed to avoid cops.

When Marcus approached home, he was surprised to see a skinny figure sitting on the apartment building's front steps.

Esca didn't usually wait for him like this. Esca worked the night shift at a 24-hour convenience store and was usually passed out by the time Marcus got home. He looked rather high-strung, like adrenaline was keeping him awake. Any situation where you got a darkening black eye would do that to you.

Marcus scowled and rubbed his thumb gently against the darkened skin under Esca's left eye. "Who did this?"

Esca rolled his eyes as Marcus' demanding tone but didn't pull away from the touch. "Some arse who didn't want to pay."

"Did you call us?"

Esca looked as though he was keeping himself from laughing. "No, but I took care of it."

"You need to call the police when that happens," Marcus scolded. "Those kinds of guys shouldn't be allowed to go loose."

Esca jerked his face to the side to end the contact. "You guys are overworked as it is."

Marcus sighed. He knew Esca was too proud and stubborn to call for help, even if he needed it. It was no use arguing with him. He ruffled Esca's already mussed hair and walked up the steps. Esca seemed to hesitate for a long moment before he got up to follow.

Marcus had known Esca for as long as he could remember. They'd lived across the hall from each other in an apartment building similar to the one they were living in now. They probably would still be living there if it hadn't been burned down by a group of druggies who thought it would be hilarious to see their couch on fire.

They always stuck pretty close together. They both decided not to give into the temptation of easy money and pleasure. They both finished high school when most dropped out. They supported each other through the tough times of peers trying to pressure them into drugs and shop lifting. It only got worse as they got older. Marcus' dad was shot dead and his mother committed suicide. Esca's father was in prison on a life sentence for killing Esca's mother.

They were both left orphaned and soon to be homeless. They stuck together. The apartment they got together was a small one bedroom with few belongings in it. An old couch and a coffee table, a small bed in the bedroom. There was some garbage both of them were too tired to deal with and their clothing usually never made it into the closet or the small dresser. Their budget was tight even with both of them working and paying the rent. A good amount of the small amount Marcus' had left after rent and food was in a savings account, a few thousand he wanted to use to somehow get them into a better place.

As Esca took a shower, Marcus took off his uniform in the bedroom, the only thing he made sure to hang up out of all his clothing. He put on a pair of torn sweats and a t-shirt before heading back to the living room. He collapsed back onto the couch, the place he normally slept while Esca took the bed. He rested his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes. He was sort of hungry, but he was too tired to get himself anything to eat.

Marcus jumped when he felt Esca sit on the couch. He also wore his sleep clothing; his hair was still damp and tousled from the shower. He surprised Marcus by leaning into him, his wet head resting on Marcus' shoulder. Marcus' chest ached as he looked down at him. They were close, so close, but Marcus could never be close enough. He wanted more, God did he want more, but he didn't have the courage to even suggest it. Even if Esca felt the same, what would he do if something happened between them and they grew apart? Esca was the only thing Marcus had, and he couldn't lose that.

"What are you so tense about?" Esca asked, sounding tired.

"Nothing." Marcus let out a deep breath and forced himself to relax. He sagged back into the sofa and Esca shifted with him. It was weird for them to hang out now. They usually just went to bed and hung out in the afternoon when both of them were starving for food.

"So what happened with that guy? Who wouldn't pay?"

Esca didn't say anything for a long time before finally. "He punched me and ran. I ran after him and tripped him onto the ground."

Marcus laughed quietly. "I can imagine it."

Esca's head dipped and it jerked back up. He grumbled and moved down the couch. Marcus felt bereft of the contact even though he knew Esca was tired and should go to bed. He was surprised yet again when Esca suddenly lied down, his head resting on Marcus' thigh.

Marcus blinked down at him and hoped he wasn't blushing, which with Esca's head so close to his crotch, he found that unlikely. He wanted to tell Esca to go to bed if he was tired, but seeing his face relax and content made him stay silent.

It was a good thing he was too tired to care where he slept as he let his head fall back again and drifted to sleep.

\----

The briefing was quick, giving the men and women who would be patrolling the Green District updates in the statistics of which crimes were mostly being committed at which times. There were also a few new tricks the dealers were using to hide their activities from the police and sell their products to customers.

A few sting operations were set up tonight, so the undercover officers involved were pointed out and the locations they would be targeting were mapped out.

It was an especially cold night so the beginning of the patrol was pretty uneventful. Hopefully everyone wasn't just doing crime indoors. It was pasted midnight when Marcus saw the car, a dark sedan sitting in an alleyway, the outline of a man sitting in it barely visible in the far-down street light.

"Swing back around. There was parked car in that alley."

When they got to the alley, the car was still there. Lutorius flashed his lights and the sirens, and Marcus saw a hand pop up and the passenger of the car jerked back into his seat. It clearly wasn't a drug deal.

The wind bit at Marcus' face as Lutorius got out and turned on the spot light to aim it at the car. The driver looked agitated and seemed to be talking quickly to the passenger. It didn't matter how much information the guy tried to collaborate, they would never be able to get their stories straight.

While Lutorius went up to the driver's side, Marcus did a quick search of the plate, and, when Lutorius came back and handed them to him, the driver's license and registration.

"No priors."

Lutorius nodded. "Alright. You interview the passenger. He said he didn't have an ID, and I don't recognize him, but when you get his name check it out. I'll get the driver."

Marcus nodded and put on his gloves.

Lutorius already had the driver out and a few yards away. The man was thin and fidgety, though he didn't look like he was a drug user, just nervous. "How do you know _Harry_ , Mr. Placidus?" he asked casually, though Marcus knew by the tilt of his brow that he knew he wasn't going to believe a word this man said.

Marcus opened the passenger's door and moved aside. The Harry's face blocked by the roof of the car. He was short and skinny and almost seemed like he was trying to make himself even smaller, as if he could sink right through the seat. Lutorius may not recognize him but there was something very familiar about him to Marcus. "Out of the car, sir." The man sitting in the car didn't move and Marcus was really hoping he wasn't going to make this too difficult. "Out of the car, sir," he repeated.

The man finally moved stiffly and stood. Light eyes met Marcus' and the world seemed to mute.

Esca.

Marcus gaped at him, his brain apparently having shut down. Esca didn't seem to know what to do either as he just stared back. He looked to be trying to keep his face confident, but in a situation like this he was clearly having trouble keeping up his usual attitude. A deep blush stained his cheeks.

The full implication of the situation suddenly hit Marcus hard in the gut. Esca was in this man's car trading sex for money. When they turned on the siren the passenger's head had popped up from--

"Esca." The name seemed to be torn from Marcus' lips.

Esca looked away but seemed to force his eyes back.

Marcus had so many questions, so many thing he wanted to know, so many things he wanted to be told were wrong. That he was misinterpreting this entire situation.

Esca's eyes were bright but resigned.

Marcus suddenly felt just as resigned. "Tell me the truth."

Esca looked away again, but didn't seem to be able to bring his eyes back. "He gave me thirty-five bucks to blow him."

Marcus' shoulders slumped, as if he had been waiting for the perfect way to explain all of this. That definitely wasn't the one he wanted.

Marcus felt numb as he lead Esca to the car and had to ask him if he had any weapons or drugs on him. He didn't even want to think about the times he had imagined putting Esca in handcuffs as he did the real thing.

He helped Esca into the back, shielding his head with his hand to keep him from hitting it on the roof.

Before Marcus closed the door, an idea suddenly struck him and he felt a wave of anger. He leaned down into the car and hissed, "You got that black eye yesterday from a john, didn't you?"

Esca looked away.

Marcus gripped the car door. He wanted to shout at Esca, wanted to know why he did this, but now wasn't the time. Marcus slammed the door.

Marcus went over to Lutorius, explaining that Esca had confessed to prostitution. The john, a local politician apparently, looked like he was about to faint. A second patrol car came to pick up Placidus. Lutorius was smart enough to sense it was a good idea to give Marcus his space while he and Paulus and Galba from second patrol car discussed the john.

Marcus fumed as he pretended to search the suspect's car. Suddenly a lot of things were making sense. Why Esca seemed more exhausted recently, why he suddenly got into the habit of taking showers as soon as he got home, why he always asked where Marcus was going to be patrolling that night. Esca had forgotten to ask this afternoon, hadn't he?

"You alright?" Lutorius asked after the second patrol car left and now they were only waiting for a tow truck to impound the car.

"No." Marcus glanced back to the patrol car where Esca sat quietly. "He's my roommate."

Lutorius looked like Marcus just told him he was the prostitute. "Seriously? I'm guessing by your reaction, you didn't know."

"Of course not," Marcus snapped before clearing his throat. "I had no idea."

"You may want to consider getting a new one," Lutorius said.

It was a flippant remark, but fuck it hurt.

Esca wouldn't look Marcus in the eye through the booking, and Marcus hoped it was because he was ashamed. Marcus never thought he'd want Esca to ever be ashamed of anything, but this...

Marcus was only grateful that Esca didn't try to have him let go with a warning, because he would have tried. He would have compromised his morals for Esca, tainted his conscience with knowing he'd treated Esca differently from everyone else, making justice unequal. Marcus would like to say he wouldn't have, but he knew that wasn’t true.

He didn't have any priors, which relieved Marcus more than it probably should have. He knew no priors only meant this was the first time he was caught, but at least Esca wasn't a station regular and Marcus had been too oblivious to notice.

Marcus posted Esca's bail at the end of the day, causing some of his fellow officers to give him suspicious looks, but Marcus was in no mood and a quick glare sent them running.

The car ride home was even more awkward with Esca sitting in the back seat and it felt as it were taking an eternity. When they finally got back into their apartment, Marcus was almost ready to explode.

"Why?" Marcus' voice was wretched. "After we fucking worked so hard to stay away from all of it?"

Esca was turned away from him, but his body was tense and defensive. "We needed the money."

"We didn't need the money that badly! Jesus!" Marcus swore. "Is this even the first time? How long have you been doing this? What else have you been doing behind my back?" He grabbed Esca's arm and looked at the inside of his elbow to see it thankfully clean. Of course there were other places to inject.

Esca yanked his arm away, his eyes livid. "What the fuck, Marcus? You suddenly think I'm a druggie?"

"I don't know what to think! Eight hours ago I would have bet my life that you weren't a rentboy. Now you expect me to just trust you, take your word that you don't do anything else?"

Esca made a disgusted noise. "You want to check in between my toes? I've never taken any drugs!"

"How long?" Marcus asked. When Esca remained silent, Marcus demanded again, "How fucking long have you been going to the Green District, Esca?"

"A couple months," Esca said dismissively as if it didn't matter. As if they fact that he had been selling his body to strangers was nothing.

"You never got that job at that convenience store did you?" Marcus shook in anger. "Did you even apply for the job?"

Esca leaned threateningly into Marcus' space. Marcus' mind had the idle thought that if this was some random perp on the street, he would never let them get this close, and he had to fight his training to not put distance between them and take out his taser. God, when did he have to start comparing Esca to some criminal?

"No one wants to hire me, Marcus! The economy is bad enough as it is, and anyone looking to hire thinks I'm too skinny to defend myself, and it would just make their stores get robbed more. How else am I going to get money?"

Marcus grit his teeth. "You want money for sexual favors, then suck my cock and I'll pay you."

Esca looked shocked again, but he quickly recovered. "You, pay for a rentboy? We're both just scraping by. Where do you think you're going to get the money for that?"

"I know the going rate in the Green District," Marcus said coldly. "I can afford you."

Esca suddenly gave an angry shout and shot a fist out. Marcus' training took over. He caught Esca's wrist easily and used the momentum twisted his arm behind Esca's back, pushing him hard and slamming him face down on the brown carpet. His knee automatically moved to Esca's spine to pin him down.

"Get off me, you asshole!" Esca said with a grunt as he tried to struggle free.

"Not until you promise me you'll stop! Promise me you'll get another job a legal job!"

"No one here will hire me!"

"Then try getting a job in a nicer area!" Marcus snapped. "Get a job in Lakewood! Or Severn!"

"How the fuck am I supposed to get all the way over to Severn, Marcus? The bus fare would set me back a hundred dollars a month."

Marcus ran a hand through hair and wished it was longer so he could pull on it. Anything to distract himself from this. "Why didn't you think to discuss this with me? Then I could have bought a car with my savings! I would have driven you!"

"Like you can afford gas and insurance? I don't want your fucking savings used on me!"

"Too bad for that! I just used it all to post your bail!" Marcus shouted.

Esca jerked and stilled like Marcus had just hit him. Esca craned his head back to look at Marcus wide-eyed. The only noise was from the thirty-five year old grandmother downstairs shouting into her ceiling that they needed to keep it down.

"You--" Esca's expression changing from disbelief to anger again. He struggled and this time Marcus let him go. Esca scrambled away to sit against the back of the couch. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"What was I supposed to do? Leave you in jail?"

"Yes! How am I supposed to pay you back for that?"

Marcus bristled. "Since when do I ever do anything for you and expect payment?"

"This isn't the same thing!" Esca shouted, sounding more upset than angry. He put his head in his hands. "Fuck, Marcus. How can I even..."

Marcus crawled forward and knelt in front of Esca. He gently took Esca’s wrists and pulled his hands away from his face. "You can start by staying out of the Green district.”

Esca glared, but there was little heat in it; Esca’s natural stubbornness was warring with the fact he shouldn’t be fighting for the right to go there. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t go back.”

Marcus had so many reasons, but he knew there was only one he could give that would make Esca stay.

Marcus kissed him.

Esca stilled, but Marcus didn’t have the energy to fret if this was the right thing to do. If he were going to lose Esca anyway, Marcus would rather it be because he kissed him than to the Green district.

It almost seemed unreal when Esca’s lips began to move against his own. Esca’s tongue licked against his lips and he immediately opened his mouth, letting Esca take what he wanted, because Marcus needed to give him everything of himself.

Esca moved his arms from Marcus’ slack grip and put them around Marcus’ shoulders to pull him closer. Marcus had to put his hands down to keep from falling forward and they landed on Esca’s warm thighs. Esca’s small whimper was like electric along his spine.

When they were finally out of breath, they pulled back and panted each other’s air, but didn’t let any distance grow between their bodies.

“Is that a good enough reason?” Marcus asked, a small smirk growing on his face.

Esca nipped at Marcus’ bottom lip. “Yes, I think that might be good enough.”

Marcus felt amazingly happy despite himself and the serious situation that that lead them to this moment. But with Esca there, Marcus knew they’d make it through.


End file.
